Rainy Day Picnic: Bring the Fun Indoors

If you had your heart set on a picnic and it's pouring outside, you can still get your way. Having your picnic indoors with the sound of the rain beating on the roof can be just as romantic and fun. Just gather up your picnicking gear and start thinking creatively.

First, spread out your picnic blanket on the ground. You can have your picnic in the living room or on a covered porch. Use throw pillows to make the seating area even more comfortable. Make sure you've got enough room for the picnickers and all your gear.

Turn down the lights and use candles for soft, romantic illumination. If you've got kids, let them use flashlights instead of candles. They'll get a kick out of the 'spooky' rainy day atmosphere. You could also put a string of white lights in a small potted tree, if you have one, or just hang them somewhere in your home. Some people even like to go so far as to place all their houseplants around the picnic area to give it more of an outdoor feel. If you have a fireplace (and the weather is cool enough), now's a great time to get it going!

If you have carpeting, be extra careful about glasses of wine, juice and other drinks that could get knocked over and leave a stain. It's wise to give kids clear liquids instead, just in case. Since your picnic is indoors, you've got a wider array of choices for your meal. You can either use that to your advantage or go ahead with whatever you had planned before it started raining. Hot soup or dips for chips and vegetables can be really comforting on a cool day. Kids will have a great time helping you prepare the food before you sit down on the picnic blanket to eat.

Another idea to keep kids occupied on a rainy day that doesn't involve the TV is to set up a tent. Kids love nothing more than building forts, even when all they have is cardboard, sheets and some string, so they'll love having a real tent to play in. Just make sure you have another adult present to help you out and keep them at bay while you're setting it up. Some tents have parts that snap into place automatically as you're setting them up that could be dangerous if a child is too close.

Of course, no picnic would be complete without a picnic basket. Check out the selection at PicnicFun.com. You can also find picnic blankets, coffee & tea sets, wine and cheese sets and much more.